Gozleme for Savory Pies Event

Gozleme

Part of the wonder of blogging is coming across recipes that you have never heard of previously. I was browsing sites one fine morning when EMJ of Blog From Our Kitchen caught my eye with a post about gözleme. Her original post is here .Not knowing what it was I had to Google it and am now fascinated with this Turkish street food. EMJ described watching the Turkish ladies prepare them at the market. According to Wikipedia Gözleme is a savoury traditional Turkish hand made and hand rolled pastry. Fresh pastry is rolled out. The thinly rolled out dough is filled, sealed, and cooked over a griddle. It is served hot with a slice of lemon.

Barbequed Spiced Lamb Sliders

Barbecued Spiced Lamb Sliders

If you wait long enough the foods you remember from your childhood (that perhaps you were embarrassed to admit you loved) will eventually morph into something chic? In some very upscale establishments I have seen versions of "good 'ol" mac 'n cheese, shepherds pie and even stew. If you live in the States you may recall sliders from the White Castle. They have been transformed into something trendy in a lot of establishments.

Grown Up Mac and Cheese in Barefoot Bloggers Style

Another milestone has been reached in what I like to call my blogging career.... as insignificant as that might be!!!I have become the 100th member of the Barefoot Bloggers !!!!!! This is a group of ladies who twice a month create a chosen recipe from one of my culinary idols Ina Garten... the Barefoot Contessa herself!!!! Being a BB gives me an excuse to cook many of Ina's recipes... as if I really need an excuse. Joining this illustrious group of ladies will allow me to branch out and meet many new faces through blogging as well as cook up a storm with Barefoot style!!!!

Ina Garten knows how to entertain with simplicity, style and fun. I can't wait to discover more of her shortcuts and strategies for make-ahead menus, memorable parties and amazing food!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This time the recipe is Grown Up Mac and Cheese chosen by Heather of Randomosity and the Girl.

I served it with a tossed salad with some fresh garden tomatoes I picked up from my Italian "grandmother" at the farmers market this past Saturday. She is not really my grandmother as you have probably already guessed. I figure if I can adopt my blogging friend Ivy of Kopiaste and call her my sister (I would love to have her as a sister in the real world)....I can have a Gran too since I have never had one. Sad I know. My "market Gran" barely speaks English, can barely see the scale when she weighs my tomatoes and peppers, and cannot stand for long periods of time...but I always buy my tomatoes from her at the market. I noticed this morning that the price of her tomatoes had risen...they used to be a bargain but she has also become crafty and her competitors around the market from the more commercial fruit and vegetable growers are charging $2 for their tomatoes ....so she is charging $3. Nevertheless I still support her and have a little chat with hand gestures and lots of smiles and nods. She is a very enterprising lady to have a stand at the farmers market with fruit and veggies from her backyard garden and I will always pay $3 so that she can continue and visit her every Saturday morning as a dutiful "granddaughter" should. Whether she has a stand out of necessity or sees it as a way to make a few dollars I don't know. Whatever the reason I will continue to be overcharged for my tomatoes. She is such a sweetie!!!!!! It is the people that make up this interesting world that make it all worth while.

TIDBIT: Ina began to dabble in cooking and entertaining in an effort to occupy her time while her husband Jeffrey served his four-year military tour as a paratrooper during the Vietnam War. She also acquired her pilot's license during this time, according to an interview she gave to the Raleigh News & Observer.

So far the Barefoot Bloggers have cooked up 25,584 Friday dinners for Jeffrey !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Grown Up Mac and Cheese**

4 ounces thick-sliced bacon
Vegetable oil
Kosher salt
2 cups elbow macaroni or cavatappi
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated
3 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
2 ounces blue cheese, such as Roquefort, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
2 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and arrange the bacon in 1 layer on the baking rack. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the bacon is crisp. Remove the pan carefully from the oven - there will be hot grease in the pan! Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and crumble when it is cool enough to handle.

Drizzle oil into a large pot of boiling salted water. Add the macaroni and cook according to the directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. Melt the butter in a medium pot and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, blue cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and crumbled bacon and stir well. Pour into 2 individual size gratin dishes.

Place the bread slices in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until you have coarse crumbs. Add the basil and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the pasta. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

White Cheddar Garlic Mashed Potatoes

White Cheddar Garlic Mashed Potatoes

The kids are back in school and life is back to the same old routine.Th seasons are changing and its time to break out last years duds and see what is wanting and what still fits.In an old fashioned world you may not be able to wear white after Labour Day but you can eat white after Labour Day. You would find this old fashioned girl eating potatoes every day of the week if she could.

The third Wednesday of every month has been designated Potato Ho-Down Wednesday....this does not mean that I am limited to eating potatoes only on Wednesdays by any means!!!!Two of our talented fellow potato Ho's Cathy of Noble Pig and Krysta over at Evil Chef Mom are our illustrious founders. Every Wednesday we will all be posting those scalloped potatoes, mashed potatoes, fries, curries, poutine......if potato is in the name I will be definitely be there!!! This months Ho Down is being hosted by Diane of Asthma Girl Cooks on September 17th. So if you've made a potato recipe between August 21 and now or still want Being the Ho that I am and since there is no AA group for potato Ho's I am submitting this cheesy, garlicky potato side. My name is Bellini Valium and I am a Potato Ho..............

Golden Bruschetta with Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Pesto

Golden Bruschetta with Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella and Pesto

Lets Par....taaa...aaaay!!!!!!!!!!
Susan from Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy has invited us all to her place for a Blogiversary Bash. I visit Susan whenever I can for her delicious recipes plus the fact that she always puts a smile on my face. She sent me some Samosa Girl Guide cookies simply because I hadn't had them before. She is such a sweetie!!!! For the party we are required to bring our favourite party food or cocktail. If we can't all meet in person the next best thing would be to have a virtual party to help Susan celebrate her one year anniversary in Florida. Bring your appetizers, canapés, relishes, antipasto, zakuska, crudités, tapas, meze,spreads, dips, canapes, patés, terrines, cheese balls, fish balls, and meatballs ...whatever...... and lets have an international bash.

Blueberry Coffee Cake

After a hectic work week I think we all look forward to a nice leisurely weekend to do as we please. If we choose to go hiking, kayaking or even mountain climbing then we have to be up early but on those days when we can sleep in and have an unhurried breakfast...all the better because these days are few and far between. This Sunday morning I chose to be a sloth and bake a blueberry coffeecake. I did a little catching up with you guys..but then I headed to the beach where I can catch up with my reading. There won't be too many more days when sitting down by the water will be a relaxing way to spend a sunny afternoon...so I had better take advantage of the sunshine and warm days while they are still here.

I got the idea of the blueberry coffeecake from Cathy at Noble Pig who had made a Cooking Light recipe here which looked absolutely delicious. Since I have a freezer full of blueberries... those super heroes of the antioxidant world... I thought this would be a nice way to start the morning and healthy too!! Cathy's recipe called for buttermilk, but who wants to head to the grocery store on a Sunday morning (although you can use regular milk and just add 1 T of lemon juice for almost the same result), so I opted for an old standby recipe that I have. I used my sunflower cake pan too so this really started my day off sunny!!!!!!!Thanks for the great idea Cathy...you made my day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Upside-Down Blueberry Cake**

2 T unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 -1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup unsalted butter; softened,
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2- 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or orange juice
1/3 cup low-fat milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 T grated lemon zest
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine 2 tablespoons of the butter and the brown sugar in a small bowl, then spread the mixture evenly in the bottom of a lightly greased 9 inch round cake pan. Spread the berries over the mixture and set aside. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Reserve. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup butter, the sugar, and the eggs, and beat until creamy smooth. Add the reserved dry ingredients, lemon or orange juice, milk, vanilla, and lemon or orange zest, and beat until well blended. Pour the batter over the berries and bake until the top is golden and a skewer tests clean when inserted in the center, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove from the oven, run a knife around the insideof the pan and invert the cake onto the plate, fruit side up. Cool slightly before serving warm.

Makes 1 (9-inch cake)
Serves 8 to 12.